Loyalty

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “Always happy to do it with you, partner,” the burglar declares before blushing. Clearing her throat, she takes Clyde by the hand and sinks her feet into the shadow. “Don’t let go and be careful with the monsters. They didn’t bother me last time I brought company, but you never know with them. I have the voices of the dead talking to me too. Maybe one of them can guide us and they’ll all leave me alone. Not sure why I got that power.”

  “Because you spent fifty years thinking about a man who was possibly dead?”

  “That’s as good an explanation as any I came up with.”

  With a slow exhale, Mab falls into the shadows and briefly dangles in the void until Clyde joins her. The nearby creatures are about to investigate the unfamiliar figure when they catch a whiff of his primal bloodlust. Seeing the red mist come off her friend’s body, the burglar is momentarily hypnotized by the scene and a tremor of excitement runs along her spine. She snaps out of her trance when her ears are assaulted by a shrieking woman, who flickers in and out of view a few feet away. It takes her a moment to understand the high-pitched words, which rant about Nadia recently draining her and tossing her body into a corner. Through the anger and anguish, Mab gets a sense of where the ghost is talking from and drifts through the void. The Dawn Fangs hungrily bare their fangs as they get closer to the distant hole, which is already showing the noblewoman wiping her mouth with a lacy napkin.

  *****

  Placing the drained bodies into an empty closet, Xavier takes a seat on the small bed and watches his wife read a book on the other side of the well-furnished room. A loud hiss comes from where the corpses have been stored, but neither noble has any interest in seeing what new meals have been magically taken from their private larder. Devoid of windows and doors, the only way in is through a teleportation rune that is covered by an orchid-shaped mirror. Contrary to what the citizens of Nyte believe, their rulers have spent the last week in their secret chamber out of fear of Clyde’s inevitable assault. Interacting with the outside world through illusions and obedient doubles created by Stephanie and Kai, the pair have been patiently waiting to hear that the danger has passed. Touching the nearest wall, Xavier casts a scrying spell on the stone, which allows him to view their distant bedroom where they expect their enemies to check after the throne room. Minutes pass with nothing happening, so he closes the unseen portal and stands up to search for something to do. Having read all of their books and knowing that playing the small harp would attract attention, the noble merely walks in a circle and goes back to sitting on the bed.

  “I took a peek at all the activity,” Nadia states while putting her book down. She joins her husband and takes his hand, which she delicately kisses until he smiles. “As you predicted, the Vengeance Hounds have become Dawn Fangs. We were both wrong on one account. Kenneth Decker remains loyal to Nyte and Clyde has left him alive. The rest of our inner circle have gone into hiding since none are strong enough to face such power. Within a few minutes, the Dawn Fangs will believe that we fled and take the opportunity to escape.”

  “Neither of us have been able to locate Clyde or Mab,” Xavier reminds his wife with a tired sigh. Pulling her onto his lap, he goes about fixing the high collar of her dress, which has become a slight mess. “He is using his illusions to block our scrying. That means he could be anywhere in the castle. We should have never toyed with the idea of releasing him. The council would have fallen eventually and nobody would have cared about us manipulating the Duragians as long as we won the war. My impatience and desire to put up as many shields as possible might have been our undoing.”

  “You were in a difficult spot, dear,” Lady Sylvan whispers, a comb materializing in her hand. She does her best to straighten her red hair, which has become knotted due to the chamber not having a bath. “Mab was determined to rescue Clyde, but we needed her to kill our more elusive enemies. Best that she did it on our terms, especially since we believed he was dead for decades. When Stephanie told us that she sensed a festering strength from the area, we both thought it was in our favor because of our previous relationship. How were either of us to know Clyde would come out an abomination?”

  The Lord of Nyte gently pushes her aside and goes to grab his sword, which he draws in one smooth motion. “Let us stop tricking ourselves. Regardless of our failed scrying, we knew that the Duragians feared what was underground and heard stories about incredible changes after the Great Cataclysm. To think he would return as one of us was foolish, which is why we waited so long to even consider his survival. A part of us knew Clyde was going to be something else if he came back, but we never dreamed the change would be so severe. Walking in the sunlight and eating food . . . That I could eventually accept. Yet, he can infect our other vampires with his curse. Anyone with such power would inevitably use it to claim the throne, which is why we need to stop him before it goes too far. Look at how much destruction and death he has caused on our behalf. The thought of such a creature turning on Nyte is chilling. More so, I am disgusted by the idea that he is nothing more than a mistake of nature. Neither vampire nor mortal, abomination truly is the best word for these Dawn Fangs.”

  Nadia gets up and opens her arms to give her husband a warm embrace when she feels fingers grip her ankle. Before she can look down, the noblewoman is yanked into the shadow beneath the bed. Xavier flips the furniture over and growls at the thought of his wife coming to harm. With a scream, Nadia flies out of the larder closet and crashes against the far wall. She slides to the floor, but is immediately dragged into her own shadow. A minute passes before the orc tumbles out from behind a bookcase, her dress torn and both of her arms missing. Feeling more anger than pain, she tries to get to her feet when Mab leaps out from between Xavier’s feet and drives her claws into the woman’s skull. Nadia remains motionless to prevent the claws from slicing off part of her head, the clean punctures in her brain making it difficult to focus. Lord Tempest is about to attack when he is grabbed from behind and driven into the wall. His sword arm is twisted and bent, so that his weapon is driven through his own side.

  “All of your injuries can be healed if I allow it, so don’t make me mad,” Clyde hisses into his former friend’s ear. Turning the silver-haired noble around, he gives the man a few solid slams against the wall until the stone cracks. “Good to finally hear the truth. You only knew enough about me to be afraid, which is better than what I expected. Not that it makes your actions acceptable. Did you really think I would turn on you without a good reason?”

  “It is what I would have done,” Xavier says, his eyes locked on his wife. He gasps when the sword is twisted and pulled up to break two of his ribs. “You could not possibly live for eternity and be happy as a simple thief. Windemere’s history is filled with those who gain power such as yours and set out to conquer the world. It is inevitable because you would get bored with a life that holds no challenges. Better for me to stop you and your gang now than let you lead the vampires to extinction. That is what the gods do to those who reach too far and threaten the balance of Windemere. All I wanted was to rule my people and leave the mortals as food. My path was safer for us.”

  “What kind of incoherent babbling is that?” Mab asks while she carves her name into Nadia’s back. Feeling a twitch, she swings her arm to cut off a leg at the knee. “Nobles really are made from a sturdier stock than us peasants. So, I think you’re trying to rationalize all this when the truth is much simpler. You’re terrified of the Dawn Fangs and think we’re going to wipe you out. It has nothing to do with Clyde taking over or going warlord or whatever else you’re going to spit out. We’re stronger than you and that has you wetting your expensive pants.”

  “The lady has a point, Tempest,” Clyde says with a smile. With a twist, he pops off Xavier’s arm and lets it dangle from the embedded sword. “Sorry about that, but my fingers were starting to cramp. You really are an idiot. All of these manipulations and plans to make a war bigger than it really was then you make a mistake by choosing the wrong
enemy. That would be me if you’re too stupid to figure it out. All you had to do was trust me, reward my loyalty, and not do anything to make me mad. Even a toddler could have figured that one out and most of them are still learning how to walk without toppling over. These decades have really made you paranoid and sloppy.”

  Ignoring the crushing grip on his shoulder, Xavier meets his old friend’s steely gaze with a predatory spark. “Our world has always been one of eat or be eaten. Alliances only last for as long as the power remains in balance. The instant it tips in favor of one, loyalty goes away and all sides must fight to survive. You are the monster who has destroyed the balance and I will not let you claim victory. Call it paranoia if you want, but the truth is that a part of me was still in doubt about the danger until this very moment. Are you angry about the torturing of your friends? It is not like neither of us have ever done such deeds before or that any of the damage was permanent. True vampires do not hold such grudges, which means you freaks are far too mortal to be a part of our world. Best to kill us now or I will make you suffer.”

  “Well, I do like the idea of suffering.”

  “You masochistic-”

  “No, no, no. I mean, I’m going to let you live and make you suffer, Tempest.”

  “What kind of fool allows an enemy to live?”

  “One who hopes his enemy will become a real challenge.”

  “I swear that your ashes will be strewn across Nyte in celebration of your death.”

  “Awww, it’s so cute when my prey spouts threats like it’s dangerous.”

  “Shut up, abomination.”

  “Now, we’re really going to have to do something about that bigotry.”

  Raising his hand, Clyde acts like he is going to slap Xavier across the face, but bites off two of his fingers instead. Flashing a wicked grin, the Dawn Fang spits both of them to Mab, who catches the digits on one of her claws. Both nobles are violently slammed into the floor, so that their heads are touching ear to ear. Pressure on their throats causes the couple to open their mouths, which are immediately filled with Clyde’s blood. It takes Xavier and Nadia a second to realize that they are being transformed, the pair abruptly thrashing against their enemies’ monstrous strength. A searing heat courses through their rapidly healing bodies as they are released and left gasping with lungs that suddenly work. While Nadia weeps on the floor, Xavier struggles to his feet and glares at the Dawn Fangs, the sound of his own heartbeat make him want to vomit.

  “Now, you have your even playing field and I get my challenge,” Clyde declares as he licks his lips. Holding up his damaged hand, he gradually sprouts new digits while red mist flows from the wound. “This is so much better than killing you right away. Nobody will question the winner once the dust has settled and victory will be a lot sweeter. Trust me, Tempest, this is going to be a long, brutal, and very entertaining war. Unless you feel like making this easy and cut off your own head right now. As disappointing as that would be, I’m not the type to tell you how to live your life. Well, except for turning you into a Dawn Fang by force, but that was really to make things more fun. Not to mention you can’t reveal our existence without putting your own neck on the chopping block. How does it feel being an abomination?”

  “Keep playing silly games with me and you will die in agony,” Xavier snarls, his face twisting into that of an ugly demon. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he returns to his true form and clenches his fists, which burst into flames. “If this is the card that I have been dealt then I will use it. For no other reason than I want to turn this into your greatest mistake. Only a fool makes an enemy stronger for the sake of a fun challenge.”

  “I’ve been called worse than a fool,” the grinning thief says with a chuckle. Walking to one of the walls, he smashes it with one punch and opens a hole to the main hall. “You better put up a fight, Tempest. If you really want to rule the vampires then you can’t do it by pulling strings and cowering in hidden rooms. One day, you will have to step onto the battlefield and not against pawns that you’ve set upon your own castle. Maybe that’s another reason I’m doing this. You’re far too pathetic to kill right now.”

  Waving to their friends, Clyde and Mab walk through the broken wall, neither of them giving the nobles a second glance. They barely notice Stephanie lurking in a high corner of the room, the ritualist too scared to leave the shadows. The pair stop when they hear an unearthly howl from behind and a wave of energy ripples through the castle. An explosion of magic bursts from the chamber and part of the castle crumbles, the stones melting as they touch the churning dome that surrounds Xavier. Nadia is nowhere to be seen, but a swarm of crimson moths flit around the enraged Lord of Nyte. The noble is about to turn his spell into an attack when his empty stomach rumbles and his power sputters. Before he can realize what is happening, Clyde punches him in the face and sends him crashing into a nearby courtyard. Exposed to the sun and covered in the remains of his spell, Xavier stays on his back and breaks out into laughter that grows higher in pitch until it is nearly a shriek.

  “Like I said . . . pathetic,” Clyde mutters before joining his gang and leading them out of Nyte.

  *****

  “Let me see if I get this right,” Titus says as he walks to the edge of the wall. Staring at the ruined keep of Miez Castle, he becomes vaguely aware of the crowd having grown since the last time he looked. “You’re asking us to go to war with Xavier Tempest because part of you wants to draw this mess out. There’s also a chance that you could get really angry, succumb to this Lord’s Rage, and become a rampaging monster, so you need us to keep you somewhat sane. To top it off, we have hundreds of vampires sitting in the sunlight and expecting to be turned into Dawn Fangs. Where do you think we’re going to hide all these people? More importantly, what do we do if one of them draws too much attention to us? It isn’t like we can figure out the powers they’re going to get or if they’re actually on our side. Anyone there who is joining out of fear or craving power will probably turn on us. Why didn’t you kill Xavier and let us have Nyte?”

  “Honestly, the place was looking pretty shabby when we left,” Clyde replies, the vampire reclining against the turret. Swinging his necklace in front of his eyes, he pauses to watch Bob feed a zombie horse he gleefully rose from the swamp. “Okay, I probably should have killed Xavier and dealt with the unknown. Him being the one Dawn Fang so far who apparently still has their magic could pose a problem too. A tactical error that I fully admit to, but I can’t change it now. The barrier around Nyte is too strong even for me. Instead, we’ll take all of these people to a secret location and train them away from the world. Not only in the use of their powers, but how to survive among mortals. It shouldn’t be too hard since they’re younger than us and remember a little of their past lives. As far as our new home goes, we’ll have a central city while the rest of our kind eventually integrate with the rest of the world. This way we can gather information and attack our enemies whenever we find the right opportunity.”

  “You just want to have fun with this,” Luther mutters while he savors a bowl of grapes. He yanks it away from the zombie horse, which Bob has led to the edge of the group. “Please keep your new pet away from us. It smells terrible and now we have appetites that can be ruined. That does make me wonder where we’re going to stay. It would need to be someplace we can grow real food, which means we need farmers and chefs. Chastity and I can search for vampires with such abilities and try to turn them. Give us some vials of your blood and we won’t have to annoy you about recruitment.”

  “Sounds like we’ve agreed to stay with you on this, Clyde,” the hostess declares from her perch. Waving to the crowd, she does a quick spin to show off the shimmering skirt of her dress and earn a chorus of cheers. “I agree that most of us have to go into hiding. There’s still so much that we don’t know when it comes to our abilities. For example, is Clyde the only one who can make other Dawn Fangs?”

  Everyone looks at Gregorio, who continues reading o
ver his list of names and skills. “I doubt he’s the only one, but it’s complicated. From what I’ve discerned from my experiments, none of us can turn vampires into Dawn Fangs. There’s probably a way for us to change mortals through biting since our blood doesn’t cause the change. Once I’m back in my lab, I can look further into it. Some of our recruits are fairly curious individuals, so I might have a couple of assistants and test subjects out there. By the way, if any of these people do get into trouble and need to be executed then send them to me. I could use a few bad apples to help me figure out how we can actually be killed.”

  “That’s fairly morbid,” Titus points out while clearing his throat. The booming noise causes a squad of nearby soldiers to abruptly leap to attention and salute. “Okay, I can see why we need to go into hiding and figure out our new powers. Still, I don’t like the fact that you left Xavier and Nadia alive. There’s nobody else who could have stepped into their place, so this whole void nonsense is pointless. It isn’t like Kai or Stephanie have such ambitions. Lou would probably just wander off too. Not that my opinion means anything now. So, have we picked a place to make our new home?”

  “Clyde and I are going to check a few islands in the Cerascent region,” Mab explains as she joins the group with an armful of maps. Looking for a place to put them, she gives up and drops the parchment onto a basket of apples. “The council had a team of mappers who traveled the world and might still be out there. Some of these charts show islands that are large and difficult to reach due to reefs, fog, sea monsters, and other dangers. We can claim one of those and live in relative solitude. By the way, why insult us by suggesting we wouldn’t finish this with you? Do you think we transformed into Dawn Fangs just to walk away?”